Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-02
CHAPTER III.

- Il
ing, about ten days after Monsieur
Adolphe Lacambre had been accepted
as the afiianced husband of Gabrielle
Amboise, 9 o'clock on Friday morn
ing-that is to say, it was market-day
in st. Ute, and the busiest hour of
market-day to boot.
In the narrow, ill-paved Grande
Place there was a dense crowd OF buyers
and sellers, struggling for elbow room,
and chaffering and bartering as if their
hope of future happiness depended on
the economizing of two or three sous,
more or less. The air was heavy with
the odor of richly ripened fruits, and
alive with a hubbub Of gutteral patois
and cackling of poultry. Every one
was busy, every one was in a hurry,
and what with the heat and the noise
and the crowd, and the Difficult
ty of getting the upper hand III a
bargain, every one was more or less
out of temper. At least, not quite
every one, for Joel Chester was in the
throng, returned from England a full
week earlier than he was due at the
college, and he was so glad TO find him
self in st. Ute that he was in radiant
good humor with every one-even with
the baskets which jostled his elbow and
the clumsy folks who trod on his toes.
In fact these trifing Inconvenience
passed almost unnOticed, for he was
looking for Gabrielle Amboise. She al
ways came to market on Friday morn
ing, carrying a portemCnnaie, while old
Marie in attendance carried a big bas-
ket. They did the bargaining in true
st. Ute fashion, and it generally took
a very long while TO make the basket as
heavy as Marie could carry it, and the
portemonnaie no lighter than good
management would allow.
Joel, from the vantage ground of his
superior stature, scanned the crowd
eagerly, but not impatiently. He
should see her-that was enough. He
had missed her for nearly six weeks, q
few minutes more or less Mt the end OF
that was nothing. Meanwhile more
than one seductive offer of merchandise
was made to him.
"Monsieur wants a fine melon?'
called out a white-capped market
woman.
"OI fine basket of mushrooms, OF
some potatoes ?" suggested her neigh
Dor.
"Be quiet, stupid !" cried a third
"dost thou not seeit is the Anglais who
is en- pension with the Maliverts
One does not buy vegetables when one
is en- pension. ITEMS, Monsieur, SET
what can sell you, and she held up
bunch OF late roses. Give sous t
Monsieur" she added, seductiyely
There is not bouquet like it in The
whole market"
So Joel secured it, and paid his five
sous without demur-prices, you see
differ somewhat between Covent Gar
den and st. Ute. Then, as he looked
up, the sunshine grew more radiant
| the noisy market became an Illuminated
garden of Paradise his exile was over
At the further end of the Crane
Place, anxiously intent on the basket
of poultry, stood Gabrielle, his Owl
dear Gabrielle. 1t was wonderful, con
sidering the manifold obstacles between
them, how quickly Joel made his wa.
| to her.
"They are chickens well worth thre'
francs, Mesdames," the poulterer wa
"You Jest, Monsieur" returned
| Gabrielle. with becoming housewifely
| gravity " such O price is absurd, ridicu
| lous My aunt told me-" she went on
turning TO the servant-but as sh'
turned she saw Joel. A hot blush GOV
cred her face and neck then a tern
BILE chill seemed to wrap her rounC
from head to feet. She had not ex
pected his return for at least week
| She had intended to write and hav'
some kind of explanation with him
she had never imagined meeting hin
suddenly, face to face, and she had nj
idea what she should say to him.
"My darling" he said softly, g.
have startled you. Forgive me TO
making such an abrupt appearance. /
is so delicious TO see you again.
"Mon Dieu F" gasped Gabrielle
"you did indeed startle me. l wa
thinking OF you this morning, and
said TO myself, HE has now about
week more in England. T"
"And you are glad to find you mis-
calculated? Say it was a nice mistak
TO have made"
"Oh yes, yes. OF course but 20
mustn't stand here in the market talk
ing to me. There is no end to tn
things people will say"
al don't care" returned Joel, auds
ciously; "let them say what they like
/ have such lot to say myself"
"But i care" demonstrated Gabr
ellie. II care very much, and 20
ought not to make me uncomfortable
| & too, have things 10 tell you; but
cannot tell them you here"
"Then when and where will you te
me {? When could you manage wal
by the river? Every minute / hsv
been away things have been comm
| into my head that / wanted TO say
Won. Cant Marie settle about tho'
stupid chickens without your See,
have brought you these roses